C. S. Lewis, letter to Mary Neylan, January 20, 1942:
I know all about the despair of overcoming chronic temptations.
It is not serious provided self-offended petulance, annoyance at
breaking records, impatience etc doesn't get the upper hand. No amount
of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each
time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time
we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes are airing in the cupboard.
The only fatal thing is to lose one's temper and give it up. It is when
we notice the dirt that God is most present to us: it is the very sign
of His presence.
--The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, Volume 2 (Cambridge University Press, 2004), 507; emphasis original
I find this extremely encouraging. Have you noticed the dirt on you? Or
do you just pretend its not there. We all have "chronic temptations"
that lead us to despair but we need to take hope in the fact that "no
amount of falls will really undo us" God will completely clean us up
once we leave this earth "the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put
out and the clean clothes are airing in the cupboard" Thank you Jesus
for your amazing grace.
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